Hypolipidemic effects of long-term antihypertensive treatment with captopril. A prospective study

In 27 hypertensive patients already receiving antihypertensive treatment and with serum total cholesterol levels between 260 and 350 mg/dl, captopril in a dosage of 50 mg twice a day was substituted for one of the drugs they were taking. Patients taking a diuretic continued the same diuretic at the same dosage. After six months of therapy that included captopril, patients resumed their former therapy. Diet and physical activity remained unchanged during the study. Biochemical and blood pressure determinations were performed before captopril was begun, after three and six months of captopril therapy, and three months after the former therapy was resumed. During the regimens that included captopril, the triglyceride value was reduced from 249 to 184 mg/dl (p less than 0.05), the total cholesterol level decreased from 287 to 237 mg/dl (p less than 0.005), and the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol value rose from 40 to 51 mg/dl (p less than 0.005). The reduction in cholesterol was unrelated to blood pressure changes or to changes in serum triglyceride, glucose, or potassium levels. Treatment regimens that included captopril also induced a greater diastolic blood pressure reduction than regimens that did not include captopril. The antihypertensive efficacy of a therapeutic regimen that includes captopril, along with its favorable effect on lipid profile, could be useful in preventing cardiovascular complications in hypertensive patients.